Review of the latest books on my reading list

Mentor: The Kid & The CEO; A simple Story of Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Significance.

Tom Pace with Walter Jenkins, MentorHope Publishing 2007

This book is about a young kid who found himself on the wrong side of the law and the CEO who helped him turn his life around.  Little did the CEO know that roles would later be reversed and the kid would be helping the CEO. 

Simply written and difficult to put down, this book will grab and hold your attention from the first page until the end. 

As Ron Moore, CEO, Dale Carnegie of Oklahoma wrote, "Compelling from the very first page. Tom mentors all of us with his steps to success."

I believe this is a must read!

Servant Leadership in Action: How You Can Achieve Great Relationships and Results

Ken Blanchard & Renee Broadwell, Polvera Publishing 2008 

I purchased this as an Audiobook and have not been disappointed, although it is a long "read" taking 9 hours and 50 minutes.   I have it on my phone and in my Car so it is easy to listen too. 

The book is divided  into six major parts, Fundamentals of Servant Leadership, Elements of Servant Leadership, Lessons in Servant Leadership, Exemplars of Servant Leadership, Putting Servant Leadership to Work, and Servant Leadership Turnarounds. 

Having studied Servant Leadership, a term coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in the 1970's, as a PhD. student the books collection of many great writers on the subject of Servant Leadership in one place was convenient. The audio-book also made it easy to  listen to repeatedly without getting board.  

This book covers the fundamentals, how it got started as a management philosophy, through some impressive implementations in national companies.  Most have heard of the different styles of leadership that can be used as the situation dictates, servant leadership is more a philosophy, a foundation, on which those styles can be implemented. 

The underlying premise of Servant Leadership is first and foremost the leader is a servant who has been raised to a leadership position in order to serve more people. 

Great book and even better on audio-book so you can listen while driving.

The Power of Company Culture - How any business can bulid a culture that improves productivity, performance and profits.

Chris Dyer, Kogan Page Limited, 2018.

Synopsis: 

Culture is the foundation for success in any organization. It's no coincidence that the cmpanies with the strongest cultures not only consistently top the leader boards of best places to work, but also have the most engaged workforces, are the most in-demand employers and have the strongest financial performance. 

The Power of Company Culture debunks the myth that a remarkable company clulture is something that a business either has or hasn't, and shows how any company of any size can implement and maintain a worlc-class culsture for business success.

Structured around the seven pillars of culture success, The Power of Company Culture will show you haw to develop a company culture that improves productivity, performance, staff retention, company reputation and profits. Packed full of insights from leading practitioners in the field, this is essential reading for all HR managers and business leaders who are responsible for building, monitoring and managing the culture of their organizations.

The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling – Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business Narrative.

Stephen Denning, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2005

Introduction: 

“This book is an account of simple but powerful idea: the best way to communicate with people you are trying to lead is very often through a story. The impulse here is practical and pedagogical. The book shows how to use storytelling to deal with the most difficult challenges faced by leadership today. 

Leadership Results – How to Create Adaptive Leaders and High-Performing Organisations for a Uncertain World. 

Sebastian Salicaru, Milton: Wiley, 2017

Introduction: 

“I have had the privilege of working all over the world with people at all organizational Levels, and from socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds throughout my career as a business psychologist specializing in leadership and organizational development. The most valuable thing my 25 years’ experience has taught me is that relationships and integrity used in coordinated collective action have a unique power to achieve the extraordinary.” Sabastian Salicaru

Salicaru presents points that are encouraged that I espouse as well, such as Feedforward as opposed to feedback. Feedforward is about offering suggestions to protege they may want to consider enhancing future behaviors or drive successful outcomes. Looking forward, moving towards a future goal, instead of looking back at what has already happened.

A section on Management vs Leadership development and the differing approaches. Then on to differences in Leader vs Leadership development. Leader development is centered on the person. Leadership Development teaching leaders to use collective goals, requiring a shared meaning with others, using different methods to achieve collective outcomes and results.

This book is a must read for those that are interested in leadership.

The Book of Mistakes : 9 secrets to creating a successful future

Skip Prichard, New York: Center Street, 2018

Summary: 

"Have you ever wondered why some people seem to catch all the breaks and win over and over again? What do the super successful know? What is standing between you and your wildest dreams? 

The Book of Mistakes will take you on an inspiring journey, following an ancient manuscript with powerful lessons that will transform your life. You'll meet David, a young man who with each passing day is more disheartened and stressed. Despite a decent job, apartment, and friends, he just feels hollow, until one day he meets a mysterious young woman and everything starts to change. 

In this self-help tale wrapped in fiction, you'll learn the nine mistakes that prevent many from achieving their goals. You'll learn how to overcome these hurdles and reinvent your life. This success parable is packed with wisdom that will help you discover and follow your personal purpose, push beyond your perceived capabilities, and achieve more than you ever dreamed possible. You'll find yourself returning again and again to a deceptively simple story that teaches actionable insights and enduring truths"—